The TB/MTL series is going to be great. Two very evenly matched teams, though Lindback has looked shaky. Both teams have a really good transition game and will make the defense pay for ill-advised pinches.

something effed up here with Time Warner cable. NBCSN is currently unavailable, please try again later. Was like that during the Jackets game as well since it was on FSOhio, which is fine. But why is it STILL this way for the Ana/Dal game? Im pissed off. Blacked out of hockey playoffs for no f**king reason at all. Its the only game on.

Posted by
NIVO
from underpants gnome village on 04/16/14 at 10:48 PM ET

3-nil DuhUcks with 29.7 seconds left in the first. This series is gonna be over so quick…

Marvin: I apologize for the inconvenience and certainly help you with this.

Marvin: Let me check it for you.
Marvin: Thank you for waiting.
Marvin: We have been informed by the NHL that we will be blacked out of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game tonight on NBC Sports Net (NBCSN) between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:30 P.M. Instead, our markets will receive NBCSN alternante programming - NHL Revealed (7:30 - 9:30 P.M.) and NHL Top 10 at (9:30 P.M.)
Milo_: its 1052, that game is over, what about the current game between Anaheim and Dallas that ive been missing since 10pm
Milo_: this is a bunch of baloney
Marvin: I can certainly understand your concern.
Marvin: Let me check it for you.
Marvin: Thank you for waiting.
Marvin: Please use the below link to find the show details.
Marvin: I would like to inform you the games for tonight are black out , I would request you to contact broadcaster Fox Sports Ohio to view the game.
Milo_: i have to go to fox sports ohio to watch a game coming from california?
Milo_: did you even read my post?
Milo_: are you from America or India?
Marvin: You need to contact them for the details of the games.
Marvin: We are from India.
Milo_: i need to contact Fox Sports Ohio to watch a National Broadcast game for Anaheim vs. Dallas?
Milo_: hello?
Marvin: For Anaheim vs. Dallas please check the above link provided.
Milo_: you never gave a link
Marvin: http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/tv/tv-listings.html#
Marvin: For fox sports I will help you with the contact number.
Milo_: see it even says the Anaheim Dallas game is on, why cant i watch the channel 1323?
Milo_: i dont want fox sports number. forget it, you dont understand.
Milo_: i dont want fox sports number. forget it, you dont understand.
Milo_: i am apalled by this kind of online chat help.
Milo_: i am apalled by this kind of online chat help.
Milo_: can i speak to someone from America?
Marvin: The fox sports number is for Stanley Cup Playoff game.
Milo_: the game is on 1323 NBC Sports Net, not Fox OHIO, ive been trying to tell you that.
Marvin: I can certainly understand your concern.
Marvin: Fox sports is the broad caster for the game which is blackout on channel NBC sports.
Marvin: Stanley Cup Playoff game.
Milo_: no its not., that was the 730 game. the 1000pm game is on NBCSN
Milo_: which i still cannot get and it should not be blocked as its a national televised game.
Marvin: I will transfer you to the escalation team for proper resolution. Please do not close the chat
Marvin: Please wait, while the problem is escalated to another analyst

then he leaves the room and im disconnected. no other agent came on to try and resolve. SO hear i sit still, paying that $120/mo for no playoff game.

Posted by
NIVO
from underpants gnome village on 04/16/14 at 11:11 PM ET

Posted by NIVO from underpants gnome village on 04/16/14 at 11:11 PM ET

still ongoing with a second rep. from what i gather, they told TWC to black out NBCSN from 730-930. Yet its till blacked out. So why is still blacked out if its 1130 at night? This is the kind of crap that goes on in every sport due to archaic black out rules that dont even apply here. For god sakes, its a nationally televised game.

Posted by
NIVO
from underpants gnome village on 04/16/14 at 11:29 PM ET

My sympathies. After paying for Center Ice and getting screwed by games on NHL Network, NBCSN and NBC (I don’t have any television service anymore), I switched to a pay pirate stream that’s cheaper and WAY more reliable than the legitimate versions. Hearing that TWC (my old provider) and the NHL are still bollocksing up everything, I have no regrets.

I believe they was in reference to NBCSN. (from 730-930 because the FSOH had the game anyways, which i didnt care about).

and here is more from “Benny”, always love the names they choose.

Benny: Hello!
Milo_: who can i contact to register a complaint?
Benny: What you want to complain?
Milo_: why the last service rep claimed he was going to escalate my problem, then he leaves the room and disconnects me without resolving my issue. Because most of you are from India, you dont understand half the problems we try to explain
Benny: I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you.
Benny: You are experiencing issue with your cable service. Is it correct?
Milo_: i have a channel that appears to be blacked out, but it should not be
Benny: Which channel is blackout?
Milo_: i haVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS RESOLVED SINCE 10PM, ITS NOW AFTER 11PM AND IVE missed half of the game i wanted to watch(sorry for the capslock key)
Milo_: i cannot ever get that time back
Milo_: 1323 is unavailable
Milo_: and it should be available
Benny: We have been informed by the NHL that we will be blacked out of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff game tonight on NBC Sports Net (NBCSN) between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:30 P.M. Instead, our markets will receive NBCSN alternante programming - NHL Revealed (7:30 - 9:30 P.M.) and NHL Top 10 at (9:30 P.M.)
Benny: Please contact Fox Sports Ohio to view the game.
Milo_: thats not even the channel or game
Milo_: see you guys keep telling my to contact the channel the program isnt even on
Benny: Yes.
Benny:

Blackouts are regional television restrictions distributed in order to protect the local television rights’ holder broadcasting the game. Blackout restrictions are based on the home team’s television territory.
Benny:
The information, format, layout, and content is the sole responsibility of the network providing us access to that channel. We, as a service provider have no say in the manner in which any network chooses to present their broadcasts.
Milo_: that game was at 730.
Benny: Okay.
Benny: I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you.
Milo_: it is now 1120 which means its a different game. understand that?
Milo_: and, its a different channel, the one i want to watch is 1323
Benny:
The information, format, layout, and content is the sole responsibility of the network providing us access to that channel. We, as a service provider have no say in the manner in which any network chooses to present their broadcasts.
Milo_: it should NOT be unavailable
Benny: We are service provider.
Milo_: it is a NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAME, meaning its sent to all vieweres across America
Benny: You will need to contact the channel provider.
Milo_: so im wasting my time here
Milo_: the blackout was until 930 anyways, explain why the channel is STILL blacked out then?
Benny: I understand your concern.
Benny: Is it only one channel it is blackout?
Milo_: 1323
Benny: Okay.
Benny: If other channels are working fine than the issue is from channel provider.
Milo_: but if the blackout was until 930, then why is still blacked out?
Benny: As of now, there was no update how long the blackout on the channel will continue.
Milo_: do you have contact info for NBC SPorts Net?
Benny: Yes.
Benny: Is there anything else I can assist you today?
Milo_: could i have the info please?
Milo_: you said yes and never gave it
Milo_: was i suppose to guess it?
Benny: Please wait.
Milo_: i did, for 3 minutes
Benny: Let me check the information of NBC Sports Net.
Milo_: this game will be over and this was a lost cause. thanks so much for that.
Benny: I understand your concern.
Benny: 111 Columbia Avenue
Charleston, WV 25302
304-344-3521http://www.wsaz.com/
Milo_: why did you just give me info for Kentucky?
Benny: WLIO, Lima (NBC)
1424 Rice Avenue
Lima, OH 45805
419-228-8835
Benny: Sorry for error.
Benny: The second one is the correct contact information.
Milo_: wow nevermind, im gonna handle this through my local time warner office, i am pissed off.
Benny: I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you.

Im completely done and exhausted, so im out. Sorry to bother you folks, just had to vent it somewhere and show whats going on. Im sure im not the only one out there. Something has to be done about this kind of crap though.

Posted by
NIVO
from underpants gnome village on 04/16/14 at 11:41 PM ET

Benny: We have been informed by the NHL...

Posted by NIVO from underpants gnome village on 04/16/14 at 11:41 PM ET

So that’s who “they” is… You can’t get the Western Conference Playoffs taking place in California on a Nationally Televised broadcast in Ohio for which you paid $120? Awful. Just awful.

So yeah, I remember similar issues occasionally while in Ohio. I also remember Indians games pre-empting playoff games there, with no alternative channel or anything. Hope that doesn’t happen this weekend!

Sadly there are just a lot of parts of this country where hockey gets the shaft. Where I lived in N.C. we couldn’t get the NHL Network. Still had their games blacked out on GameCenter Live, of course. And in Missouri playoff games were also preempted for Cardinals games and telethons. It was maddening.

NIVO - next season, get an account with hockeystreams. TWC is just awful.

And as far as Ohio hockey goes, once a year at a minimum, Cleveland’s NBC affiliate has to run an Indians game over a playoff hockey game (seemingly by contract) where the baseball is also broadcast on FS Ohio. It’s maddening, but I no longer have to worry about it.